When you depart from an airport without a control tower—or if the controllers have gone home for the night—you may need to get your IFR clearance and release from an approach control or center before takeoff.
This video shows how I called for my clearance at Bremerton National Airport (KPWT), just west of Seattle, for a short IFR hop back to Boeing Field (KBFI).
To learn more about getting an IFR clearance on the ground, how to set a direct course to fix (a technique I often use when flying the ILS RWY 14R at KBFI), and other details, see:
- Departing IFR from a Non-Towered Airport
- FAA Completes ATC Phone Number Plan
- Setting a Course v. Vectors to Final
For more information about operating in surface-based Class E airspace, see:
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